Snipe 2 coax cables

[irnbru]

Centre insulation on Co-Ax is polyethene with air gaps (smaller cable often don't have air gaps just a different grade of insulation), if it has got hot enough to soften the polyethene and the air gaps collapse or melt it, it will effect the capacity of the cable which will probably kill the signal, probably won't matter on the control cable.
I wouldn't have thought next to the boiler would have got hot enough, mine is comes in through the roof above the TecTower, that area gets hot, gets very hot with the grill on but the grill is too rubbish to bother using, so far so good.
Why not just get a couple of satellite fly leads and connet Snipe up with those just lashed up through the door or window that would prove if the cables are a problem.

We will buy a few leads when we come across a shop.

 

[Ranger]

It's a Snipe 2 and everything was working perfectly. Go to just outside Calais and decided to see if we could get a lock on Astra 2. Switched on and up went the ariel. After a couple of minutes I opened the roof skylight and it was just sitting there doing nothing. Pressed the Home button and the red light came on indicating the ariel was in its home position but it wasn't it was still stuck up in the air. Tried Home button again and still nothing. Disconnected it from the power waited a couple of minutes and tried again. Still nothing happening apart from RED Home light on. Removed from roof and returned home. Spoke to Importers who suggested try a new lead between Controller and ariel. Plugged in power and switched on. Head unit moved and returned to home position.

Yours may need the software updating someone mentioned they have changed something with the satellites.

Had that happen several times with our snipe2, it appears to be a sticking home switch which makes the controller think the dish is in the home position even though its raised. For us when the red home light stays on we just thump the roof under the dish and that makes the switch pop up. It most often happens after a longish journey particularly on poor roads which seem to hammer the switch down.

 

[TCG]

Ok, I have a solution for shortening the coax cables and remaking the plug to the coax.

The Snipe coax outer cover is 3.6mm and available are F plugs to fit satellite shotgun coax (twin coax cable) and these plugs are quote to be 4mm.

These are the F plugs on eBay. Look to be the same as @tonyidle linked to. I used this UK supplier for the smaller sized F plug when I used shotgun coax on our last camper.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/F-Connector-Plugs-Screw-On-Small-Diameter-4mm-pack10/260685655940?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

Right, the method I have used is to cut the coax to the required length for your installation , slip on 2 length of heatshrink that will fit over the knurled section of the plug and that's about 2 to 3 times longer the the knurled section of the F plug.

Cut back the outer cover to twice the length of the F plug knurled section.
View attachment 195310

Fold the next layer, the mesh like strands back and over the outer cover coax cover to form a sort of ball about 5 or 6mm long,
View attachment 195312

now cut off the silver foil back to the mesh ball and discard.
View attachment 195315

Carefully cut back the white insulator without cutting into the copper core to about 2 to 3mm from the mesh ball,
View attachment 195316

The inner part of the F plug is threaded, so screw the F plug onto the mesh ball until the white insulator protrudes about 2mm clear of the F plug
inner face enough that the copper wire centre of the coax can not touch the sides of the hole it comes through and short out.
View attachment 195317

Now cut the copper wire centre of the coax to protrude past the end of the F plug about 3mm
If you have done this right then the F plug should be pretty secure on the cable,
but just to be sure shrink on the 2 layers of heatshrink to make sure everything stays in place.
View attachment 195323

I tried to do it another way with F plugs for RG174 cable but this did not work as well as the method above.

Wonderful,I will give that a go

 

[irnbru]

Does both cables need to be connected for dish to Lock on to a satellite?

 

[Lenny HB]

No only the control one all the grey one does is feed the RF signal to the receiver.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Headrush]

Hi , noobie here.
I just got a different van and left the mounting plate and coax on the old one due to the way it was fitted. I can get another mounting plate, but can i just use a standard twin coax for the remote and receiver? There appears to be some argument in this thread over whether you can or not.
Thanks.

 

[Two on Tour]

Yes you can use standard twin satellite coax. The problem for me was that it was not possible to route the diameter and stiffness of standard satellite coax though the tight areas and bends I had to go through. You will need to make the connection at the dish watertight.

 

[Lenny HB]

Yes, WF65 would be a good choice each core is only 4.8mm diameter. It does have higher signal losses but such a short run in a Motorhome can't see any problems, probability less that the standard 10m Snipe cable.

 

[Headrush]

Great, thanks for your prompt replies. Ive seen a high quality set on amazon that should do the job.
Smedz 10 m Twin Satellite Shotgun WF65 Coax Cable Extension Kit with Premium Fitted Compression F Connectors for Sky Q, Sky HD, Sky+ and Freesat - White Amazon product ASIN B0048079SOThanks again

 

[Lenny HB]

Great, thanks for your prompt replies. Ive seen a high quality set on amazon that should do the job.
Smedz 10 m Twin Satellite Shotgun WF65 Coax Cable Extension Kit with Premium Fitted Compression F Connectors for Sky Q, Sky HD, Sky+ and Freesat - White Amazon product ASIN B0048079SOThanks again

It quite a high loss cable so I would make it as short as possible.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[tonyidle]

An alternative coax will have to be 50 ohm. Rf coax is 75 ohm and will not work.

All TV and satellite cable is 75 ohm. Satellite cable is lower loss so can be used as TV aerial cable. Most (all?) radio comms cable is 50 ohm.

 

[tonyidle]

Ok, I have a solution for shortening the coax cables and remaking the plug to the coax.

The Snipe coax outer cover is 3.6mm and available are F plugs to fit satellite shotgun coax (twin coax cable) and these plugs are quote to be 4mm.

These are the F plugs on eBay. Look to be the same as @tonyidle linked to. I used this UK supplier for the smaller sized F plug when I used shotgun coax on our last camper.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/F-Connector-Plugs-Screw-On-Small-Diameter-4mm-pack10/260685655940?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

Right, the method I have used is to cut the coax to the required length for your installation , slip on 2 length of heatshrink that will fit over the knurled section of the plug and that's about 2 to 3 times longer the the knurled section of the F plug.

Cut back the outer cover to twice the length of the F plug knurled section.
View attachment 195310

Fold the next layer, the mesh like strands back and over the outer cover coax cover to form a sort of ball about 5 or 6mm long,
View attachment 195312

now cut off the silver foil back to the mesh ball and discard.
View attachment 195315

Carefully cut back the white insulator without cutting into the copper core to about 2 to 3mm from the mesh ball,
View attachment 195316

The inner part of the F plug is threaded, so screw the F plug onto the mesh ball until the white insulator protrudes about 2mm clear of the F plug
inner face enough that the copper wire centre of the coax can not touch the sides of the hole it comes through and short out.
View attachment 195317

Now cut the copper wire centre of the coax to protrude past the end of the F plug about 3mm
If you have done this right then the F plug should be pretty secure on the cable,
but just to be sure shrink on the 2 layers of heatshrink to make sure everything stays in place.
View attachment 195323

I tried to do it another way with F plugs for RG174 cable but this did not work as well as the method above.

That is exactly what I do. I've been known to put a drop of Bostick on the screen before screwing the F plug on - it stops it ever rotating.

 

[Two on Tour]

All TV and satellite cable is 75 ohm. Satellite cable is lower loss so can be used as TV aerial cable. Most (all?) radio comms cable is 50 ohm.

Your quite right, I got it arse about face and surprised that I was not corrected earlier.
My farther started his working life as a TV and radio engineer at Ecko in Southend, (remember them ?) and was a G3 radio ham for donkey's years building his own rigs, so I should have got it the right way around.

 

[tonyidle]

Your quite right, I got it arse about face and surprised that I was not corrected earlier.
My farther started his working life as a TV and radio engineer at Ecko in Southend, (remember them ?) and was a G3 radio ham for donkey's years building his own rigs, so I should have got it the right way around.

 

[Lenny HB]

Your quite right, I got it arse about face and surprised that I was not corrected earlier.
My farther started his working life as a TV and radio engineer at Ecko in Southend, (remember them ?) and was a G3 radio ham for donkey's years building his own rigs, so I should have got it the right way around.

I was going to correct you but buy the time we had sorted out the right cable for the OP I couldn't be bothered.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Two on Tour]

I was going to correct you but buy the time we had sorted out the right cable for the OP I couldn't be bothered.

Sounds like your mellowing a bit Lenny.

 

[Lenny HB]

Sounds like your mellowing a bit Lenny.

Nar been ill last couple of weeks.

 

[Two on Tour]

Nar been ill last couple of weeks.

My god, it must have been serious, hope your on the mend now.

 

[irnbru]

I hope your on the road to recovery @Lenny HB

 

[Lenny HB]

Yes fine now thanks. Came down to Kent to wife's brother to meet her Canadian cousins who are over. They had bad coughs they gave to everyone I was really bad so went to local doc found out I had a chest infection. Gave me really strong antibiotics I always react to pills gave me mild vertigo so couldn't drive.
Came for 2/3 days been here over two weeks. Going home tomorrow, had to be careful with the gas I was already on the second bottle and was going to fill up on the way home didn't plan on being this long. Alugas bottles have an accurate gauge just about enough to last until tomorrow.

Spent the day watchng my nephew Grass track racing.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}